Catapult.



W. W. MONAUGHTON.

GATAPULT.

APPLIOATION FILEDMAY 6, 1908.

922,804. Pa en e May 25, 1909.

W/ TNESSES AITTORNEY.

-INVENTOI? THE, "ohms PETERS 00., WASHIALGTONjl-LC.

: other advantages and WILLIAM W. MCNAUGHTON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CATAPULT.

Application filed May 6, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Serial No. 431,086.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. Mo- NAUGHTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Catapults, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of this invention are to secure a catapult which can be mounted on the thumb of one hand for use by the other hand; to thus reduce the size of the catapult and the amount of room it takes up when carried in the pocket; to provide a simple and inexpensive construction, and to obtain results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the manner in which my improved catapult is held when in use; Fig. 2 is a side view of the catapult; Figs. 3 and 4 are rear and front views, respectively, of the same, and Fig. 5 is a plan View with an arrow in place and ready for action.

In said drawings, 1 indicates the body portion of my improved device, comprising a single integral piece, and preferably formed by stamping and bending a piece of sheet metal into the desired sha e. Said body portion 1 is adapted to be sipped onto the thumb, after the manner of a ring as shown in Fi 1, and provides a plate 2 to lie at the top orbuter side of the thumb, and resilient clasping fingers 3, 3 reaching down from the side edges of the said plate to gras the thumb and hold the body portion firm y in position thereon. Said fingers 3 are shown apertured, as at 4, to secure lightness and economize stock. At the forward end of the said top plate 2, ears 5, 5 are bent upward from the opposite side edges of the plate and curled inwardly over at their ends, to provide means for attaching an elastic band 6. The said band is preferably caught under the forward end of the top plate 2 and its two side strands carried forwardly through the ears 5, 5 and bent backwardly at the outside of said ears, so that the elastic band extends rearwardly from the body portion 1 and can be grasped by the fingers of the other hand of the operator as shown in Fig. 1. It is preferable to use an endless band applied as above described, but if the band should break, its ends can be simply knotted to prevent their slipping through the ears 5, 5, and the band attached in that way.

At the rear end of the top plate 2, arms 7, 7 are bent upward from the opposite side edges of the plate, and preferably inclined inwardly toward each other to meet, or nearly meet, at their extremities above the topplate. A guideway is thus provided between said arms for the shaft of an arrow 8 which lies upon the top plate 2 in shooting the device. The rear end of the arrow is of course caught in the bend of the elastic band 6 and drawn rearward with the same, as will be understood, while the forward end of the arrow is preferably provided with a soft rubber head 9.

The body portion 2 is cheaply and easily made and can be conveniently carried in the pocket, while rubber bands and arrows or projectiles are readily found by the user.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a body portion for catapults comprising a plate, fingers extending from opposite edges of said plate toward one side thereof and adapted to engage the users thumb, and ears bent from the other side of said plate for anchoring an elastic band.

2. As an article of manufacture, a body portion for catapults comprising a plate, ears at one end of said plate for anchoring an elastic band, arms at the other end of the plate adapted to guide the projectile, said ears and arms extending from the same side of the top plate, and fingers projecting at the opposite side of the plate between said ears and arms and adapted to grasp the users thumb.

3. In a catapult, a top plate, means for attaching said top plate to the thumb, an elastic band, means for anchoring said band to said top plate, and arms on said plate forming a guideway for a projectile.

4. In a catapult, the combination of a top plate, means for attaching said plate to the thumb, ears on said plate, an elastic band secured to said ears, and arms on said plate forming a guideway for a projectile.

5. In a catapult, the combination of a top plate, fingers bent downward from said top plate and adapted to resiliently grasp the users thumb, an elastic band, and ears on said )late engaging said band.

6. n a cata ult, the combination of a top plate, fingers ent downward from said top plate and adapted to resiliently grasp the users thumb, arms bent upward from said ends top late and forming a guideway for a projectl e, an elastic band, and means for anshoring said band to said top plate.

7. As an article of manufacture, a body portion for catapults comprising a plate, filigers projecting at one side of said plate for engaging the users thumb, arms at the other side of the plate forming a guideway for a projectile, and means for anchoring an elastic band.

8. In acatapult, the combination of a top plate, resilient fingers bent downward from opposite edges of said top plate with their free and at a distance therefrom, said fingers disposed at opposite sides of the space beneath said top plate and adapted to resiliently grasp the users thumb, an elastic band,

apd means for anchoring said band to said ate.

p 9. In a catapult, the combination of a top plate, means for attaching said plate to the thumb, ears on said plate, and an elastic band secured to said ears. I

WILLIAM W'. MONAUGHTON.

In the presence of- BERTHA S. FULTON,

ETI-IEL B; REED.- 

